Extra Effort: Morton's Dahms is Athlete and Mathlete

WMBD/WYZZ-TV - MORTON, Ill. - Practicing inside on a cold or rainy day has become pretty normal for Kelsi Dahms.

She tries to make the best of it.

"I like practicing to get better," said Dahms. "But at the same time, it's disappointing when you're excited for a game and it's a let down when you don't get to play."

Disappointing would not be a word used to describe her four-year career at Morton. High School. A volleyball and softball star, Dahms is a National Honor Society member as a straight-A student.

She's also raised money for Washington tornado relief by helping plan a student talent show and wrote greeting cards for elderly patients through Morton's Interact Club.

"I think it's nice to give back to the community. High school students coming together to do something," said Dahms. "The stigma of teenagers may be that we don't care as much, or whatever."

Dahms will study biomedical engineering at Iowa next year.

"She's very bright and very driven in anything she does, whether it's academics or athletics," said Morton softball coach Stacey Buescher. She puts 100 percent into it. She wants to be the best at everything she does."

Dahms is going to be late to her softball doubleheader against Farmington Saturday. Because she's also a key member of Morton's "math team," which is competing for a state championship in Champaign.

"It sounds kind of dorky but when I get an answer right (in math competition)," said Dahms. "I have the same feeling like when I get a hit or something like that."

Copyright 2015 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.